title: The fetal porcine aorta and mesenteric acellular matrix as small-caliber tissue engineering vessels and microvasculature scaffold.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The extracellular matrix (ECM) is characterized by not only well-preserved scaffolds of organs and vascularized tissues, but also by extremely low immunogenicity during allo- or xeno-implantation. This study aimed to establish a model of a composite microvasculature network scaffold with a small-caliber-dominant vascular pedicle by decellularizing fetal porcine aorta and the conterminous mesentery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aorta and the conterminous mesenteric vascular system originating from the inferior mesenteric artery were harvested from fetal pigs at late gestation. All of the cellular components were removed by sequential treatment with Triton X-100 and sodium dodecyl sulfate. After the degree of decellularization was assessed, the fetal porcine aorta and mesenteric acellular matrix (FPAMAM) were transplanted into dogs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gross and histologic examination demonstrated the removal of cellular constituents with preservation of ECM architecture, including macrochannels and microchannels. The residual DNA content in the FPAMAM was less than 2 %. The aorta and microchannels were perfused well, and the fetal porcine aorta had good patency for more than 3 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The integrity of the FPAMAM provided a scaffold for the reconstruction of a rich vascular network with numerous segmentally radiating branches. Decellularized fetal porcine vascular tissue might be a potential alternative for xenogeneic transplantation based on its optimized properties and low immunogenicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, The 2nd Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qingchun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chushan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zelin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Guofeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhibo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Chunlei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Binyou
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Daping
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology* / Q000637:transplantation; D004285:Dogs; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000637:transplantation; D005333:Fetus; D017537:Mesenteric Artery, Inferior / Q000637:transplantation; D008643:Mesentery / Q000098:blood supply / Q000166:cytology* / Q000637:transplantation; D013552:Swine; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014654:Vascular Patency